iBet
by omgResidentEvilwtf
Summary: During a night without power, Spencer brings up the group's white elephant, and makes a bet with Carly. A look at a romance from the outside in. !SEDDIE!
1. iBet One

**This is an idea that I came up with while watching an episode of iCarly where Sam and Freddie make a bet; thought I'd turn the tables. Not sure where exactly I'm going with this, just thought this up a few hours back. It's not going to be as long as my other fic. As usual, you're more than welcome to leave reviews. So enjoy!!**

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**Chapter One**

"So, what's going on between Freddie and Sam?" asked Spencer, trying to make conversation. He picked up on something between the two a few days ago, and Spencer Shay was not an idiot.

"What?" Carly asked, a little surprised that Spencer had brought up the group's white elephant. It was an unspoken rule that everybody tried to ignore the sparks that constantly flew between Sam and Freddie. No one, especially Freddie and Sam, wanted to acknowledge the insane chemistry between them, as it would probably lead to disaster. It was easier and safer just to sweep this under the rug and forget about it, so to speak.

Spencer rolled his eyes and rummaged around the room, looking for any source of light that would work. "Don't give me that, Carls. You know exactly what the heck I'm talking about."

"You're crazy," Carly pointed out, and quickly tried to change the subject. "How long has the power been out?" Carly and Spencer were in their apartment when the power went out a little bit ago. The rain outside was relentless. Nothing short of a typical Seattle night. It was supposed to stop a few hours ago, but that was a no go.

"Fifteen minutes." responded Spencer, catching the attempt by Carly to change the subject, but he wasn't about to let it go. "They're always bickering about everything that goes on between them, which usually means only one thing."

"Exactly," Carly muttered. "Sam's that way with everyone. Freddie just happens to be in her line of fire most of the time."

Spencer snorted. "If Freddie wanted to stop arguing with Sam, all he had to do was just ignore her." Carly looked at her brother, a little surprised that he picked up that the connection was deeper between Sam and Freddie only after a few days. Her respect for him in that category went up a few notches.

"So, you noticed it too, huh?"

"I'm not dumb," shot back Spencer. "You'd have to be brain dead to miss it."

"Yea, well, there's no way in heck they're going to sacrifice their friendship." Carly said, rolling off the couch and falling onto the flood with a soft thud. She cursed at the power going out, not being able to see.

"First time one of them goes through a life changing experiment, that'll change." Spencer said, looking up the stairs to the iCarly studio. He could hear bits and pieces of Sam and Freddie arguing about nothing in particular. It was easier for Spencer now to pick on little signs. Freddie checking out Sam when he thought nobody was looking, and Sam taking quick glances at him while they filmed iCarly. Spencer also noticed how Carly didn't talk about it. She liked to gossip, and things like this usually spread like wildfire. And now seemed like a good time to talk to her about it. Any more stories about going to Build-A-Bra or whatever, and he was going to go crazy.

Carly agreed with Spencer. At the first sign that one of the was going to break, the other would be there. That's how it's been since they met each other a few years ago, but she didn't think they would ever act on their obvious attractions. Probably all because Freddie acted to be more interested in liking Carly more than anything, but Carly herself knew it was just a facade. Sure, it was possible, Spencer had his points, but just to contradict him, she said, "As long as we're in high school, they'll just be frienemies."

"Wanna bet on that?" said Spencer as he waggled his eyebrows and turned towards Carly.

Carly's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You want to bet on whether Sam and Freddie will get together??"

"Fifty bucks says one year before they're all over each other." Spencer challenged.

"One year?" Ha, that just goes to show how little you really know. I say at least three."

Spencer held out his hand. "So, is that a bet, Carls?"

Carly clasped his hand and shook it. "You've got yourself a bet."


	2. iBet Two

**Yea, I'm back with another chapter! I am very surprised at the amount of attention this has received. I'm glad you all enjoy it so far. One thing to note: During this story, the timeline will be skipping around a little bit, but you guys should catch on. Also if you have time, check out my other story called iPlay RE!** **Thanx and don't forget to review!!**

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**Chapter Two**

"Another year in the books," Spencer said, raising his cherry smoothie towards Carly, Sam, and Freddie. "It was one of the wackiest ones yet." Everyone at the party laughed and raised their own Cokes and smoothies.

"The longest of my life." Sam drawled, and everyone burst into a fit of more laughter. They were all in the Shay's apartment, celebrating another school year that had come to a close. Spencer always threw parties for these occasions. He had the mini-golf course set up, and had invited anybody who wanted to come over for a free round of mini-golf and to just chill out.

"It's so nice to be appreciated." Freddie said, clapping Spencer on the back.

"Hey, I'm just glad we survived," said Carly, pointing her thumb to Sam, "I thought this nut with all her arguments and her conspiracy theories would drive every one of her teachers crazy. I expected her to have detention pretty much every week, but actually _I_ ended having more!"

Everyone instantly started recalling their best stories about Sam and fighting, but Carly just tuned them out. She glanced at her brother out of the corner of her eyes and smiled. Only two more days and Spencer would have to pay up. 'The Bet', as it was now jokingly called, was about to make Carly fifty bucks richer. Not bad, considering there had been a few times she'd wondered if she knew Sam and Freddie as well as she thought. But, they didn't let her down, and she was going to boast about it for days.

"So Carly and I are leanin' back in our desks, thinking we had aced the test," Sam was saying as Carly tuned in, "But we get them back and we both had a _Thirty!_ We probably looked like we just got rejected to Prom. I surprised Ms. Briggs didn't just point and laugh at us!"

"You're the reject. You got the answers from 'Rip-Off'? What were you thinking?" Said Carly. "Next time, make sure you get the correct ones!"

"Hey, hey, hey. That was Sam's bad, not mine." defended Rodney.

"Whatever..." Sam said while scowling.

"Okay, okay, I've got another funny one," said Freddie as he leaned back and grinned. "Remember that time Socco sent Spencer and I to one of his 'buddies' a few months back?"

"Aww man, that's cold." said Spencer, shaking his head.

"But it's funny." Freddie pointed out. "So, Socco sends Spencer and I to one of his distributors to pick up some pairs of socks that Spence wanted really bad. When we get there, it turns out that Socco's buddy "Candice" was a cross dresser built like a linebacker. Had the fakest blonde wig I've ever seen and a five-o'clock shadow. "She" instantly falls for Spencer, and to get her to sell up the socks, Spencer has to start buying her drinks."

"Cmon, man," Spencer groaned, "Just stop there man."

"And skip the best part?" Freddie grinned evilly. "Now "Candice" was a big girl, but couldn't hold down a drink for her life, but by this time we had already figured out that she didn't have what Spence was looking for. So we're about to leave when she throws herself at Spencer and they go crashing to the floor." Everyone was chuckling by this point, and Spencer had his head buried in his lap. "It took Spence, me, and two other guys five minutes to get "Candice" off of him."

"Wow, didn't think you were such a ladies man Spence," said Sam, propping her chin in her hand. "I know a few "ladies" who might want to go out with you."

Spencer just frowned while everyone laughed. Sam then stood up.

"I'm going to get a refill. Anyone else need one?" she asked. Since everyone agreed on more smoothies, Sam and Freddie ended up bringing empty glasses to the smoothie machine that Spencer had made. Sensing an opportunity, Carly turned to Spencer.

"Only two more days left, bro. Ready to pay up?" she asked, sporting a cocky grin.

"Hey, a lot can happen in two days," Spencer scowled, not wanting to admit defeat. Well, at least not admit it to Carly. He knew Sam and Freddie better now, and realized how short he had been on his bet. He actually figured with Carly; as long as they're in high school, no way.

"Ha! Not that much." Carly snorted. "You should just pay me now and get it over with."

"What are you guys talking about?" Mrs. Benson asked. Although not officially invited to the party, nobody saw a problem with her coming anyway. Over the year, she had loosened up a ton on Freddie, and she wasn't that bad of a person to be around now.

"A bet," Carly explained. "And in two days, Spencer loses."

"A bet on what exactly?" asked Gibby, who had been sitting next to them the whole time. Somehow high school had turned him into a cool person to hang with.

Spencer and Carly looked at each other. They hadn't let anybody else in on their little wager. For a whole year it had just been an inside joke between the two. Anytime Sam or Freddie got involved in an argument, they'd ease their concerns with joking about 'The Bet', and who was going to win. Now that the time limit was about up, they didn't see any harm in letting others in on the joke.

"Sam and Freddie." Mrs. Benson and Gibby smiled.

"You bet on that?" Mrs. Benson laughed again, "I can't believe it."

"I can," Gibby looked at Carly. "What where the terms?"

"Spencer said one year, and I said three. You should of given them more credit Spence."

"Yeah, yeah," he said, rolling his eyes. " And if you keep taunting me about it I'm gonna ban you from iCarly." Carly made a mocked shocking expression at him, and Spence couldn't help but chuckle.

"You mean you're just going to let it go?" Mrs. Benson looked stunned. "You have to keep it going!" Once again, Carly and Spencer looked at each other. They never really thought about continuing 'The Bet'. What was the point? Spencer was wrong, Carly got her cash, and Sam and Freddie still had enough chemistry to fill up a science lab. Things would be the same, except Carly got to boast more.

"I'd definitely like to make a wager." Gibby said, looking over his shoulder to see Freddie operating the smoothie machine while Sam silently watched him.

"Really?" Spencer leaned over the table. "What do you think, Gibby?'

"Never. They may like each other, but that only cuz they're around each other so much. It'll burn out eventually."

Mrs. Benson snorted into her wine glass. "You guys are clueless. I think my son is in love. Pay close attention to the way Sam looks at him if you don't think so." Everyone was surprised at this statement, and looked over at Sam and Freddie.

"Damn, you're right." said Spencer after a moment.

"As soon as the opportunity presents itself, they'll be all over each other."

"Care to make a wager Mrs. Benson?" Carly asked. "All you need is fifty bucks and a time limit."

"I'd give it another five years," Mrs. Benson responded.

"Gib?" asked Carly, raising an eyebrow.

"If it ever does, I say ten, and that's if Sam ever lays off on arguing with Freddie." Gibby said.

"Since I'm having a good day today, for an extra fifty I'll let you change your bet Spencer." said Carly.

"Fine. I'm going with Mrs. Benson's bet, five years."

"Are you guys going to let anyone else in?" asked Mrs. Benson.

"Don't see why not." responded Carly, wondering how she became the bookie.

She was about to say something else when Freddie screamed. The four of them looked over to see bits and pieces of smoothies flying in all directions, and Spencer running to help them. Carly just sighed.

"Spencer must of screwed that up somehow."


	3. iBet Three

**I'm back with another chapter of iBet! Sorry for the wait. I just got back from a vacation I took to Chicago, and was without Internets. You guys must really enjoy this little story, as I've already been smothered with several pleasing comments and reviews! Also, don't forget to read my other fic, which I plan on hopefully updating tomorrow. Enjoy!!**

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**Chapter Three!!**

"You've got to be kidding me! Detention again? It was just a joke!" cried Carly.

"Yea, try telling that to Ms. Briggs. Did you really have to Photoshop her head onto the body of the world's fattest priest and send it to everyone in school?" said Principal Franklin.

"What's the point of doin' it if nobody will see it, ya know?" responded Sam.

"You weren't the ones who had to try and calm her down without trying to laugh," said Mr. Franklin. "She wants some serious punishment to be handed down, and I might have to agree with her this time. I've seen you guys in here too many times, and we're only a month into the year!"

"Not that many, it's only been like five times." said Sam.

"Six," Carly corrected. "It would be six if you counted right now."

"You're lucky I haven't punished you guys yet. And that's only because you guys always know how to make up for it by having me on iCarly a couple of times. But this was a little over the line this time, so I'm taking a different approach. I've called in your brother Spencer to see what he has to say about this." he said.

Carly wasn't worried though. Spencer would probably be able to bail them out. Whenever Sam got into trouble, Carly was always right next to her in detention. The main reason why Spencer was not concerned about her behavior was because she was a strait A student. Plus, their pranks never actually hurt anybody or caused major trouble. Sam just shrugged.

"Hey, since he won't be here for a few minutes, can we check the message boards of iCarly on your computer while we wait?" asked Sam, already making her way behind his desk.

"Fine, but as soon as he gets here, turn it off." said Franklin.

For the next few minutes, Carly and Sam went through the message boards of iCarly while being monitored by Franklin. One particular comment caught their attention.

"Haha, check this out." said Sam, pulling up a comment someone left. It read:

_'You guys rock. iCarly kicks ass!'_ And with the comment was a picture of a person bowing down to their computer screen, which had the iCarly website pulled up.

"Wow, this "_omgResidentEvilwtf_" person must like our show. And he has a cool screen name to back it up!" said Carly.

A second later, Spencer walked into the office, slightly frowning. Mr. Franklin stood up as Sam closed out the Internet window and she and Carly returned to the front of his desk.

"How are you Ted? And what have my girls done to you now?" said Spencer as he shook hands with Franklin and flashed a smile. Ted just laughed.

"Oh, the usual. They Photoshopped another picture of Ms. Briggs. But this time it was seen by a lot more people. How have you been Spence?" he said

It wasn't unusual for Ted and Spencer to make small talk. Spencer has visited the Principals office quite a few times throughout middle and high school, and they had become pretty good buddies. Ted was always inviting Spencer to hang out with him and his wife on the weekends.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to punish them with some detention days this time. I have to make it look like I'm doing my job, you know what I mean?" said Ted.

"You bet." said Spencer. At this statement, he looked over to Carly to see her smirking. Spencer was now grinning like an idiot.

Ted then let Sam get back to class, but held back Carly when she tried to follow. "Stay, I need to ask you and Spencer a question before you can leave."

Carly's grin didn't falter as she sat back down. Spencer was still smiling widely.

"So, what's so funny? Am I missing something here?" said Ted, looking at the two.

Carly cleared her throat. "Just an inside joke, Sir. Spence and I have a little bet going on so..." she trailed off, realizing her excuse wasn't going to make any sense to him at all.

"What, about how many times you guys can take advantage of me?" he said, now not looking too happy.

Seeing this, Spencer stepped in. "You know us, we're not like that."

Ted nodded, and his hard expression fell away. "So, what's the deal?"

"Why, wanna join in?"

"Spence..." Carly rolled her eyes. "Soon we're gonna have to make a list for all the people that you've invited into this."

"The list's at home," Spencer patted Ted on the back. "For fifty bucks you too can be a part of the Sam and Freddie Bet."

"You bet on them two?" Ted raised his eyebrows

"Yep. So far, Gibby has the longest time. He says ten years before they jump each other." Spencer was enjoying being the bookie for 'The Bet'. It was like his own little conspiracy he could run.

"Yea, I'm not surprised. Those two fight far too much, and there's got to be something between them." Ted said. "So, who else is in on it?"

"So far, just Gibby, Freddie's mom, Spencer, and I. Why—care to make a wager, Sir?" said Carly, smirking.

"I'd have to say by the time they graduate, which would be about two years." he responded, also now smirking. They paused when Spencer's cell phone went off.

"That's my girlfriend. She's wondering why I'm not back yet. I'll catch you later Ted."

The pair shook hands. "Cool—just make sure to be here around four or so to pick up Sam and Carly from detention." Ted said.

"You bet."


	4. iBet Four

**Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. As always, I'd like to thank my reviewers for their comments. Already this story has over 900 hits! BTW, if you have time, check on my other fic, which I am about to update(hopefully). As always, enjoy and review!  
**

_Note, this chapter will have a more serious theme, not as funny as the other chapters. But this is a necessary doing, as this shapes the plot in a major way._

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**Chapter Four**

For once, the Shay apartment was silent. There was no buzz of activity, no conversations about planning for the next iCarly. Today, that had all lost something, and the void was like a vacuum, sucking all of the life and energy out of the group. At the kitchen table, Spencer Shay leaned back in the chair and contemplated the cancellation of iCarly.

Three days ago, Freddie had gotten the dooming e-mail. The domain that he had used to create the iCarly website requested that they pay thousands of dollars immediately or risk a lawsuit, saying that a anonymous source noted that the bandwidth they used far exceeded a 'free' website. Immediately Carly and the others had protested, but when Freddie showed they how much they owed, they were quickly silenced. Freddie had no choice but to close down the website. They had tried other domains, but they all wanted serious cash, because they knew what iCarly was. A group of dedicated readers and writers from a FanFiction website had tried to raise the money they needed, but it was just too little, too late.

Spencer looked towards the other side of the room, where Sam and Freddie had their heads bowed over his laptop. It wasn't easy on any of them, but Sam had taken the news harder than Carly herself. Other than the show, Sam had nothing else to dedicate herself to. She didn't show that much of a reaction, but Spencer knew that Sam was momentary lost. For once, Spence was hoping that Freddie would make a move and be exactly what Sam needed right now.

"Hey, I'm going for a smoothie," said Carly, wanting to leave the silence. "Anyone wanna join?"

"I'll come with ya, sis," Spencer said, rising from his chair. "I need to take a walk anyway."

"Want anything, Sam?" asked Carly, walking over to Sam and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No thanks." she smiled sadly at Carly, but turned around and quickly hugged her. Carly smiled and looked at Freddie.

"I'm good," he said, not looking up from his laptop. "Thanks, though."

Side by side in silence, Carly and Spencer made their way out of the apartment, and made their way towards Groovie Smoothie, which was just down the street. Spencer glanced at his sister and figured she didn't want to talk about it right now. But he did.

"You ever stop to think about what we're doing?" he asked, startling Carly out of her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Carly replied, not wanting to talk. She wanted a way out of the apartment. She didn't think Spencer would want to talk about it either, since he was pretty shocked when Freddie had broken the news to them. They all asked questions and protested, but he had no answers. She had to leave before she had a crisis.

"I mean 'The Bet'."

Carly made a face. "You want to talk about that _now?_"

"Yea, I do," Spencer snapped. "I'm actually hoping for once that Freddie will be an ass and try to hit on and flirt with Sam. Something's wrong with that. We shouldn't be hoping that two people are potentially going to ruin a great friendship for a measly fifty bucks. What kind or moral quagmire have we started?"

"You actually think that they're that shallow?" Carly shot back. "It's just a joke, Spence. We all think that nothing is probably going to happen anytime soon. It's just there, and we deal with it by joking about it. You know, just to ease the tension that seems to be always there."

"Grandpa asked me about it," said Spencer, stopping at the entrance to the restaurant to look up at the sky. "Last time I spoke to him, we had a huge argument, and it was about iCarly. He said he was going to find a way to rid of it if I didn't get myself together and take some serious action. I told him to go wank off. I guess he called my bluff." He shook his head. "I just wish I had taken him more seriously. We could of kept iCarly. You would be far more happ--"

Carly reached up and put her hand onto her brother's shoulder, cutting him off. "We all have regrets, Spence, but believe me, it's not your fault. It's not his place to tell you what you can or can't do anymore. I care more about how my brother feels about himself more than I did iCarly. But we gotta remember the good laughs we had, and all the great experiences we had on the show, not the negatives."

"It would be easier to think about if I didn't feel so guilty about it," Spencer sighed. "Come on, it's either smoothies or I'm dropping you back off at home and I'm hitting the pub. And we all know how much you hate that."

"Got that right. Your goofy self has always been a lousy drunk." And they found something that they both could still laugh at.


	5. iBet Five

**Hey guys, yet another chapter I've posted And no, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. I've just been real busy lately preparing for college. I Leave for Louisiana Tech this coming Saturday, so the next update might be a while. I'm going to try and post another chapter of iPlay: RE if I can. As always, I appreciate you guys leaving reviews. In another chapter or two the plot **_realy _**starts to form. An update on the hit count, now at 1,492. Now, enjoyz!**

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**Chapter Five!!**

"Hey man," Carly said, bumping fists with the notorious Rip-Off Rodney before hi-fiving him, "What's up?"

"Got the lowdown on that thing that you wanted me to check up on," said Rodney, handing over a small envelope. "Matter of fact, check out and see what I've got in that envelope I just handed you."

Carly's eyes shot up in surprise. "Really?! I thought these were impossible to get unless you were rich!" she said, opening the envelope and pulling out two fancy looking invitations.

"Yea, these were pretty hard to find; didn't think an art convention could be so hard to get in to. Just curious—why the hell _do_ you want these so bad?" asked Rodney.

"Spencer really wants to go to this thing. I promised I'd go with him if I could find a way," responded Carly. "How ya been? Haven't seen you selling lately."

"Raking it in, made a killin' at that party last night," Rodney leaned back in his chair and smirked, "Started with fifty parking passes, ended up with big bucks and a nice watch."

"Nice man." At that moment, Carly had a very interesting idea. "Hey, you want in on a little "inner office" wager?"

Rodney's eyebrows went up in interest.

"What, you got a pool goin' on the Seahawks or something?"

Carly laughed. "Yea right—this is actually something interesting and possibly really profitable."

At the mention of profit, Rodney looked even more interested. "It depends, what are you running?"

"Spencer and I have got a little bet going," Carly could just hear Spencer chewing her ass out about letting someone in without his permission, but Carly knew Rodney would keep his mouth shut about this. "You remember Sam and Freddie don't you?"

"Yea, intense chick Puckett," Rodney studied Carly for a second. "Wait a minute, you bet on Puckett?"

"Yea, sort of," Carly grinned, "Practically everyone I know has figured out that they wanna jump each other, but no one talks about it. Spencer and I have a bet going to see how long it takes for them to realize."

Rodney burst out laughing. "No freakin way—really?"

"Got Principal Ted in on it, Gibby, and even Freddie's mom is in on it. We're going to see what kind of mood Ms. Briggs is in later," Carly explained, "Might even let her in on it."

"Oh, man, you gotta hang around and tell Jake, he'll love it."

"So, you're in?"

"Girl, just tell me how much and I'm there."

"Fifty, and you got to pick a time limit."

"Low staked, huh?"

"We're high schoolers with no jobs, man." And Carly mentally marked down Rodney for 10 months, after explaining who bet what time limits. Then they chatted for a few minutes about sports and such until Jake Krendal pulled up in his car, honking the horn.

"Hey Carly, where's your bro?" he asked, rolling down his window.

"He let me drive alone this time. He's back home, I'll tell him you said hey."

"Carly came to pick up those invitations we got for her," Rodney said, pointing to the envelope in Carly's purse. Turns out that Spencer wants to go to some fancy art show or something' like that."

"Wow, I'm not surprised," said Jake jokingly. "So, what you hang around for?"

"Just like you, always suspicious," Carly flashed her best smile. "You want in on a bet?"

Jake just rolled his eyes, looking towards Rodney. "Just like him, always gambling."

"She and Spencer have an "office" pool going on when Benson and Puckett will find some "quality" time together," Rodney explained, leaning forward in his chair. "Only fifty bucks, that's not bad, Jake."

"Huh," Jake snorted.

"And if they do, it proves your cynicism about relationships," Rodney pointed out. "Come on man, this sounds like it ought to be pretty interesting."

"Alright, fine, put me down for eighteen months, and tell your goofy arse brother you live with that I'm not paying him if these two never actually do anything."

"Gotcha," Carly said, and she began to dig out her car keys.

"Well, I ought to be heading out, I still have to pick up Sam from Soccer practice. I'll see you guys at school later on, eh?"

"Sounds good." Jake said, rolling up his window.

"Hey, I've got an awesome party planned for Friday night," Rodney called, as he made his way over to the passenger side of Jake's truck. "Bring Sam, we all just be chilling out."

Carly waved a hand and she made her way to her car, indicating she and Sam would definitely try and make it.


	6. iBet Six

**Another update for you guys. This chapter is the start of the rest of the story, for those who've been waiting on it. I'll probably get a few more betters in though. Again, thanx for the reviews. Hit count is now up to 1,965. As always, make sure to leave a review and enjoy. O yea, I also plan to update my other story very soon also.**

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**Chapter Six**

Carly Shay paused while writing the answer to a problem in her homework. Had she just overheard what she thought she had overheard? Had Sam just really say that she was moving out from her moms? Pretending to be relaxed, Carly leaned back in her chair and studied Freddie as he walked back into the apartment, returning from his own. He looked normal, but Carly knew him long enough to know that he was not. His eyes gave him away every time, and they were a little shell shocked. Yea, she had heard right; Sam had had enough of her mom's antics.

Picking up her notebook, she flipped to an empty page and scribbled what she had learned. She tore the page out, and slid it over to her brother Spencer, who looked at her and raised his eyebrows. Carly zipped her lips and pointed down to the paper. Spencer rolled his eyes and picked up the paper. Both of his eyebrows shot up when he read the paper. Without writing back, he balled up the paper and tossed it into the trash can, getting up from the couch. Carly shot him a confused look, but Spencer held up one finger, indicating that she should wait a second.

Spencer found Sam outside in the apartment hallway in front of a vending machine, her arms braced on either side, staring down the Cheez-It package like it was its fault.

"You gonna buy somethin' or stare at it all day?" Spencer joked. He knew he was about to tread some very dangerous water, and wanted to ease into it. The longer Sam kept her cool the more Spencer could say.

"Sorry," said Sam, stepping back. Spencer stared at the sad collection of junk food and chips and pretended to care about how much sugar were in these products.

"How's school going? Ms. Briggs didn't took too happy earlier."

"Says now that I'm eighteen I need to act like an adult," Sam muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Said I purposely failed her exam."

"What's she going to do?"

"She said she won't give me an F if I try to retake it and get at least a D." Spencer slid some coins into the machine and studied Sam. He figured now was as good a time as ever.

"You can tell me it's none of my business Sam, but I overheard you and Freddie. You moving out?"

Immediately Sam stiffened and put on an emotionless cop face. "It's none of your business."

Spencer thought about retreating and making a joke about the Ding Dongs being as ugly looking as Lewbert, but he figured this was his one chance to say something useful.

"I remember the day that my parents made me legal guardian of Carly. I knew that they were unhappy after they had her, but man, this just surprised the hell out of me. I dropped out of law school to support her, and they were furious with me. They started off kind of concerned, but as time passed, they started caring less and less, and now they totally resent her and me."

"Spence," Sam said, her voice full of warning. Spencer though noticed that Sam hadn't walked away yet.

"Look, I lost contact with my parents, and it wasn't because of Carly or I. They saw us as mistakes, and tried to throw it in our faces. Now when my dad gets home on military leave, he doesn't even bother contacting us at all. Don't let this happen to you, because if you do, you'll regret in like nothin' else in your life. If you still love your mom like I think you do, you won't screw this up because you'll feel useless and stupid. Also remember one thing; you'll always have a place here at the Shay residence, no matter what." It was possibly the longest conversation that Sam and Spencer had that didn't revolve around iCarly or school. Sam looked like she didn't know what so say, so Spencer saved her the trouble.

"So, what do you think is uglier, those Ding Dongs or Lewbert?" he watched her realize that Spencer knew all about a painful relationship because of parents. He knew every emotion that Sam was going through and was willing to talk about it. Not that Sam would talk to him about it, but the offer was there.

"Going to have to go with the Ding Dongs, they've been here as long as you guys have lived here." Sam replied, but she nodded stiffly before walking off. Spencer ended up getting some pretzels, only because the expiration date was only a month overdue. He returned to the couch, picked up Carly's notebook, and scribbled a note.

_Either this is going to destroy them, or somebody will end up very rich._


	7. iBet Seven

**Hey guys, back with another chapter. This one contains an X-over, which I think fits perfectly. Hit count is up to 2,378. As always, leave a review if you want to. Also, if you have time, check out my other two stories, iPlay RE and iCall, which are both complete. Thanx and enjoy.**

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**Chapter Seven**

"Skittles?" Drake Parker tilted the bright blue candy bag towards Carly as they both leaned against the counter in the Shay apartment kitchen and watched the others stare down a large corkboard that was covered in pictures.

"No thanks," Carly frowned as Josh Nichols peered closely at a picture. Carly didn't even think there was room for even a sheet of paper to fit between Josh's nose and the picture.

"Yea, he can be odd sometimes," Drake said, noting Carly's frown, "But my brother is good at what he does. Really good."

Carly shrugged. "Trust me, odd doesn't bother me anymore." Drake raised an eyebrow in question , not believing that anybody could be as odd as sometimes Josh could be. Carly pointed to where her brother Spencer Shay was also now nose to nose with the picture Josh was studying, the two of them muttering softly to each other.

"He looks normal enough," said Drake off handedly.

"If you want to keep that delusion, you won't bring up anything about socks, JFK, or black choppers in the sky."

"Sounds like a conspiracy nut with a sock fetish." Drake sounded generally surprised.

Carly laughed. "Yea, that sounds about right."

"Huh." Drake studied Carly for a second. "You remind me a lot of my sister Megan; you look exactly like her," as he said this, Meagan walked into the room.

"Is that boob still staring at the pictures?" she said, stopping when she looked at Carly. Megan did a double take, and so did Carly.

"Maybe we should separate them," said Carly, pointing towards Josh and Spencer, trying not to gawk at the similarities between herself and Megan.

"I think Josh can handle a few conspiracies. He'll enjoy pointing out the flaws in them," said Drake lazily. "Megan, this is Carly, and Carly, this is Megan." he finished, introducing the two.

Meagan waved at Carly, and Carly waved back as Megan found a seat, grinning evilly. "I say we sit back and wait for the fun to start."

"Got something!" Freddie Benson said, striding back into the kitchen, with Sam Puckett in tow.

"Freddie managed to enhance one of the photos in Photoshop, the one with the mirror, and we found--" Sam started, but Josh spoke up before she could finish.

"The mirror reflects the billboard outside of the window. It's for a body shop, about a block away from that location, if I remember. Now we know where these were shot. He took these, thinking we wouldn't find anything; he was taunting us. He overlooked the mirror though." Josh and Spencer looked over to Freddie and Sam for confirmation. Their surprised looks was a sufficient answer.

"Have we been here yet?" Josh asked, looking over his shoulder at the pair who thought they had big news.

"We were fixin' to ask you guys if you wanted to head over there." Freddie glanced at Sam out of the corner of his eyes, and Carly watched a whole conversation take place in a few seconds. Carly also didn't miss that Drake and Megan had noticed as well.

"Let me come with you," Josh said, as he put one one of his trademark polo t-shirts. "Drake and Megan, you two should stay here before you lose track of anything else."

"Hey," said Drake defensively, "It's not my fault someone decided to steal the Beetle."

"I'm wondering why someone would be stupid enough to steal it anyway," finished Megan.

"Whatever, we didn't drive all the way to Seattle just to lose the contract papers for the record deal. If it weren't for Carly and Spencer, we would've never known it was gone in the first place!" said Josh, as he took down the picture he was staring at, and walked right past Freddie and Sam. They had another silent conversation before walking out, following Josh.

"Well, that was interesting," Megan chuckled. "I wonder how long it will take for those two to 'get to know' each other better," she said, making air quotes.

Carly and Spencer laughed.

"Yea, it's been almost four years since we started hat conversation," Spencer said, walking away from the board. "And so far, nobody has won 'The Bet' yet."

"Yea?" Drake tapped the Skittles bag against his hand. "What are the guidelines?"

"Fifty bucks, and a time limit," Carly said. "But you might want to wait until you know them better before placing your wager."

"Yea, that was my first mistake," joked Spencer.

"Boys, thanks for the warning, but I've seen all I need to see. Put me down for whenever the end of your school year is, and let's follow Josh to wherever they're going. I'm sure they'll have something by the time we get there." said Megan, rising from her seat.

"Yea, I'm in, but put me down for a year." said Drake, also rising from his seat.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you two," said Carly as she handed Megan her jacket.


	8. iBet Eight

**This is a fairly short chapter, but hopefully you guys will enjoy it. Again thanx for the reviews. Hit count is now 2,995. Also, if you have time, check out my other work. I just wrote **_iFriday_, **and uploaded the 1st chapter of the iPlay RE sequel. Review and enjoy.**

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**Chapter Eight**

He sighed deeply.

Spencer Shay was sick and tired of lying on his side. Of all the places to get shot with a staple gun, it just _had_ to be his ass. The jokes were going to last for weeks. Carly's first visit earlier had confirmed that, as she said Rodney and Jake had heard and were already making perverted jokes about it. The plan he had set up so he could get the sculpture done was brilliant, especially being that it was supposed to be so simple. Instead, Spencer felt lucky that he didn't take twenty staples directly to the face.

"I can't believe you like that flavor," Carly Shay said, eyeing Spencer's shake. "Spinach is _sooo_ nasty!"

"Hey you eat fired bananas so I don't want to hear it."

"They're plantains, and if you'd try one you might like it," Carly said, pointing a finger at him.

"Knock, knock," said Sam Puckett, sticking her head into the room.

"Hey Sam," said Spencer brightly. "How's Freddie?"

"Doc says a stitch or two to his arm should be all; he's just grateful that the staple gun missed more vital areas." Sam leaned against the door cam, crossing her arms over her chest. "What about you, need a kiss to make it better?"

"Joke's already been made," said Carly smiling.

"Yea, but you can go right on ahead beautiful," Spencer grinned and they all shared a laugh.

"You hear anything about Gibby yet?" Carly asked. Gibby was also helping Spence with his sculpture when the staple gun accident occurred.

"Yea, he managed to get out unscathed," Sam shot a pointed look towards Spencer. "He's kind of pissed about it at the moment, but he said himself that he'll get over it. Matter of fact he said he'd drop in either later today or tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah," Carly sighed, "By the way Spencer, how _was_ a staple gun involved in all of this?"

Spencer laughed slightly.

"You don't want to know."

Carly also laughed. "No, I suppose I don't."

"Hey, I'm gonna go and tell Freddie that I'm leaving and that I'll see him later. Meet you in my car?" Sam stated.

"I'll drive myself home, you drive like a mad woman!" said Carly, and Sam couldn't help but roll her eyes. So instead Sam said her good-byes to Carly and Spencer and they both watched her make her way towards Freddie's room, which was just down the hall.

"So, what do you want to bet that the minute that Freddie gets out of the hospital that Sam will be all over him like shit on a stick?" asked Spencer.

"Haha, yeah right, like I am going to lose any more money on those two assclowns," grumbled Carly. "I wonder if they know how much they are costing people right now."

"What, you think that they possibly know about 'The Bet'?" Spencer waggled his eyebrows in surprise.

Carly shot him a droll look.

"No, it's just that they're the two most stubborn people on the face of the freakin' earth!"

"Yeah," Spencer had to agree. "So, what's Lewbert up to now, three hundred, four maybe?"

"A month? What the hell was he thinking? That laser wart removal must have warped his mind in the process."

"He has a good lookin' sister though. You know, for someone in his family."

"Why Spencer, are you interested in asking his lovely sister on a date later on?"

Spencer glared good-naturedly at his sister.

"You know, people usually treat the handicapped with a little bit more respect, ya know."

"If I did that, I'd have to start listening to you more often," said Carly, and they laughed again.


	9. iBet Nine

**Hey guys. Here's the next chapter of the story. Another major plot mover here, so don't even think about skipping this one! Again, thanks for the awesome reviews that you guys left. They always make me happy. Hit count is now 3,423! As always, review and enjoy.**

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_Disclaimer: This is my own original work, with no intention of making money or anything like that. I just write for my (and your) pleasure! No Lawsuits plz!! l:-)_

**Chapter Nine**

"Spencer, Carly, come to my place please," Ms. Benson called, stopping both siblings in their tracks. Carly and Spencer both exchanged looks, wondering what crappy task that she was about to make them dive head first into now. Side by side they exited their apartment, crossed the hall, and entered the Benson residence. They went into the kitchen to get as far as they could from Freddie's bedroom.

"What's up Ms. B?" Carly Shay asked, noticing the tenseness of Ms. Benson's shoulders.

"Do you guys know what's going on between Freddie and Samantha?"

"Uh, can you give us anything more specific?" Spencer Shay frowned, looking over his shoulder towards Freddie's bedroom, where the door was closed.

"Samantha just told me she never wants to speak to my son again."

"What?!"

Ms. Benson moved sat heavily at one of the bar stools and stared at a spot on the wall. "She also told me she's thinking of moving away all together to her cousin's."

"Jesus," Spencer said, moving towards another stool and sat down, "She wants to leave?"

"She knows a cousin who lives in Olympia, and she says it wouldn't be a hassle to go down there, but that wouldn't be for a little while."

"Something huge happened, and we missed out on it," said Carly, leaning against the counter.

"Thanks captain obvious," Spencer snapped, sharing a look with Ms. Benson. Sam was really considering leaving. Spencer was looking forward to seeing both Sam and his sister Carly go off to college, getting married, and all that good stuff. He was heavily concerned, just as Carly was.

"Have either of them talked to you about this?" Ms. Benson asked.

Carly laughed at the idea. "Yeah, those two aren't even talking to each other. What makes you think they would speak to us about it?"

"Look, I gave Samantha a gift card to the Cheesecake Warehouse so she could get out for the night," Ms. Benson stated, leaning forward over the island in the middle of the kitchen, giving both Carly and Spencer a hard look. "One of you take Freddie and the other one of you take Samantha and you get them to spill. We need to get all the damn details about what happened between these two."

"Was there anybody else around when this happened?" If so, what are they saying?" asked Spencer.

"Yea, they were in Groovy Smoothie when this happened. Reports say that Freddie said something to her, Samantha threw her drink at him, yelling back, but then it gets vague from there."

"Vague?" Carly asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ms. Benson stood up from her stool, staring at the ceiling in the process. "I talked with whoever was in charge at the time. From what he's been hearing from his workers, Freddie mentioned your name, Carly, and then from there it turned into a personal feud."

Carly frowned. "What's he saying about me that pissed of Sam?"

"Don't know," responded Ms. Benson, shrugging her shoulders.

Carly and Spencer exchanged a look. Could they have missed the payout day for 'The Bet?'

"Look, if it's personal, we've got to figure out what it is. I don't want my son depressed the rest of the year over some lover's spat, got it?"

"Loud and clear, Ms. B, loud and clear." said Spencer.

Ms. Benson nodded her head. "Good, you guys can leave now. There's nothing we can do right now."

Carly led the way out of the apartment, waving backwards as she and Spencer left. One they made it back to their own apartment, Carly threw herself onto the sofa.

"What happened between those two, and what do I have to do with it?" Carly said depressingly.

"Who knows, but we need to figure out what it was, and quick. I don't want to lose who I've always considered another sister to something so stupid like this." Spencer said, plopping himself on the couch next to his sister.

The next five minutes were spent in silence, each person involved in their own thoughts.

Finally Carly cut through the silence.

"I think it's time we gather up everyone involved in 'The Bet' and have a big strategic meeting."

"I agree," said Spencer.

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**Another note: I noticed that now you can sort stories by character. What the hell, they left out Sam as an option!! But what the hell, then managed to put Gibby as a category! Hope they fix this, lol.**


	10. iBet Ten

**Here's another chapter. We are nearing the end w/ like three chapters or so left! Again' thanx for the reviews; got a lot of positive ones last chapter. Hit count is now 3,993. It you haven't checked out my other story iPlay RE (which I just updated), go ahead and do that AFTER you read and review this!**

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**Chapter Ten**

"So, what do we do now?" Gibby asked to those gathered around a back table of the coffee shop. Of course this was the local Starbucks instead instead of the Groovy Smoothie just to be careful. Carly and Spencer Shay decided to gather everyone involved in 'The Bet' to this Starbucks for one big strategy meeting. They were all getting sick and tired of how long it was taking for Freddie and Sam to hook up. Especially Lewbert since he was already in for four hundred and was not about to lose another fifty to the most stubborn people in the world.

"We've got to convince them that they're more than friends and it's okay for the to hook up," Rodney said the obvious.

"Right," Ms. Benson snorted. "Fredward is still pinning for her to come talk to him again. We'd have better luck keeping New Orleans from drowning then convincing my son that Samantha pushing herself away was the best thing to happen to him."

"I could talk to him," Jake Crendal _(spelling?)_ offered, "He's come to me a few times."

"Me also," Gibby said, "Even after their argument."

"Do we even know the full details about that yet?" asked Shane, messing with his laptop.

Carly and Spencer looked at each other. "No, and we wish we knew more about it, and how the hell my name was mentioned; but I don't think convincing Freddie is the best route to take here."

"It's been two weeks since the fight?" Josh Nichols asked, awaiting a nod from Spencer. Him, Drake, and Megan had flown up all the way here just to speak about 'The Bet'. "Have they seen each other since then?"

"Nope, they've avoided each other--and me-- like rain in a desert," Carly growled. "I swear, after nearly four years since we started this thing, you think they would've done something by now."

"Are you guys sure they haven't been seeing each other?" Drake Parker said, which made everyone pause. "I mean, they could be seeing each other and you guys just haven't noticed. I think I know a few things about that."

"Nah, I don't think that man is getting any," Megan Parker remarked. "Can't we think of _anything_ to get these two at least talking somehow?"

"Haha, yea, welcome to the 'I have no idea' boat." Spencer said, with Carly nodding.

"Yea, we stayed up all night Thursday thinking of ideas, but we kept drawing blanks." said Carly, frowning. "And it's bothering us a lot. We've known Sam and Freddie for almost ten years now, and they have never been at it like this. At this rate, they'll never get together before graduation, which by the way is in a little over a month."

The table went silent, everyone trying to think of anything to turn the situation around.

"How about we kidnap them?" joked Ted Franklin, and at that the rest of the table burst out with laughter.

"Yea, I can see it now," Ms. Briggs said, elbowing Socco, who sat to her right. "We'll go and grab Freddie with Lewbert while Carly and Spencer snatch up Samantha."

"Our aunt is out of town for a week. We could lock them up in the beach house." Megan offered jokingly.

"Yea, if it was only that easy," said Spencer, sighing deeply.

"Sam's the one who backed off. We're lucky that she decided to stay here, and she's the only one who can fix what happened between her and Freddie. I think we should go ahead and target her." Carly stated, which got the rest at the table to agree.

"So, what's out next move?"


	11. iBet Eleven

**Hey guys. Here's another chapter. I was going to also update iPlay tonight, but I left my notes in my dorm, and I didn't feel life getting them. So, the hit count is now up to an incredible 4,304! One or two chapters left, and that's it! Dont be sad face though. As always, thanx for the reviews and keep them going!

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Chapter Eleven

Carly Shay turned when a hand squeezed her shoulder as someone slid into the stool next to hers.

"Hey, stranger, buy you a smoothie?" she asked Sam Puckett with a waggle of her eyebrows.

"Well sure, why not beautiful," Sam smiled and spoke. "How have you been Carly?"

"Oh, nothing much, just trying to get used to these damn glasses that I'm now required to wear, and putting out fires that Spencer ignites, just the same old everyday stuff."

Sam laughed at her sarcastic tone. "Haha, well, it's good to know things haven't changed much."

"What about you, Sam? I haven't seen you in a while. Any brain freezes from working here at Groovy Smoothie?"

"Sorry, Carly, still healthy as the world's fattest priest and insured to stay that way."

Carly smiled brightly, starting to feel sorry for Sam. Carly was about to work over her best friend like a most wanted suspect. After the huge meeting for 'The Bet', it had been decided that Carly would be the one who would talk to Sam. Her main priority was to get Sam to at least _talk_ to Freddie again.

Everyone else was still looking for ways to get Freddie to cave in. So far, they liked Principal Franklin's idea of kidnapping him best. Other than that, they had absolutely no clue as to what to do. Freddie was being as stubborn as they had ever seen, which was leading nowhere.

"So, you just have to tell me what I have been missing lately," Sam said, finally sitting down into the stool next to Carly.

Carly laughed in her mind, since Sam and Freddie were the best gossip everyone involved in 'The Bet' had, it wasn't likely Sam would like to head about that. "I think Spencer is dating somebody, but I'm not just sure yet."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Really? Anyone we might know?" Sam motioned for a Smoothie, mentioning that it should go onto her employee account.

"Not that I know of. But I called him late at night a few night ago from Jake's party and a woman answered the phone," Carly said. "So I'm subtly trying to figure out who it is."

"Haha, Carly, you don't do subtle."

Carly just shrugged. "Hey, I have my moments."

Again Sam raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Shut up," Carly worked up a fake scowl which just made Sam laugh again.

"But I bet that's not the main reason why you called me here tonight." Sam said, her smile disappearing.

Carly sighed.

"What, I can't have a smoothie with my best friend, who by the way, I haven't seen in like two weeks?"

Sam narrowed her eyes and softened her expression a little, trying to study Carly. Carly now figured that trying to work around the topic wasn't the best route to be taken here, so she decided to just be blunt about it. "So, basically, I'm wondering if you and Freddie have talked."

"Carly," Sam sighed.

"What? Would you rather go back to just dancing around the topic all night? I can do that," Carly held up her hands defensively. "But it's not going to change anything."

"Thanks, Carly, that is just what I wanted to hear," Sam's demeanor changed as she stared into her deluxe smoothie. "I miss it all, you know. Going over to your place every day, making fun of my dork and calling him names and such…" she trailed off.

"So, come back," Carly pressed.

"You know I can't Carly."

Carly scoffed. "Bullshit. The Sam Puckett I know wouldn't be such a coward right now," Sam's head jerked up and she gaped at Carly. "See, the Sam Puckett I know would bust the balls of anybody or anything that stood in her way without even a thought. She can walk past her everyday problems and get up the next morning with a fresh start. She's witty, sarcastic, beautiful, smart, and to top it all off, if she has a problem, she doesn't back down from it."

"It's not that simple this time around, Carly."

"Oh, I think it is, Sam. You're scared, I can see that, but you've never let fear stop you in the past. Remember Jonah? We kicked that guy's ass, even though you were afraid to do it at first. Freddie is kind of like him, only he's not out to betray you. Face it head on, get it all out, hell, rough him up like you always like to do. But if you don't take any action, you're going to see the opportunity slip from right between your fingers, and then you'll regret it the rest of your life."

"You think that is what I should do?" Sam asked, but Carly could tell that she was asking more than just that.

Carly took off her glasses and fixed Sam with a stern look. "Absolutely, without question. I think that you should get up, walk out of this restaurant, and go and see Freddie. You deserve some peace in that mind of yours."

Carly smiled as Sam turned and practically ran out of the smoothie bar. Carly raised her hand towards the front, indicating she wanted another bottle of _Vitamin Water_.


	12. iBet Twelve

**This is the second-to-last chapter for iBet. The ending should be up very soon, along with a tiny aftermath/epilogue. I've been slacking lately on iPlay RE, but I should have something up soon on that. Hit count for this story is now 4,807. I'm shooting for 5K, and it looks like I'll easily get that. As always, don't forget to review, and enjoy.**

**Kash**

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Chapter Twelve

Sitting on the old brown leather couch inside of the Bushwell Plaza main lobby, Carly Shay, Spencer Shay, and Megan Parker all watched the two figures on the other side of the room next to Lewbert's desk.

"It's just like old times, isn't it?" Carly said, almost sounding like she was in awe.

Last week, Sam had come to the Shay apartment asking if she could stay with them for a while. Knowing the situation, Spencer didn't even have to think about it and instantly said she could. She now claimed residence in the old iCarly studio. Megan was also staying with the Shays. Drake and Josh had been invited to Seattle for a month to work on Drake's record deal and to do some recording. Megan didn't want to be holed up with the 'boobs' for a whole month, so she asked her brothers if she could stay with Carly. They didn't see a problem with it, so Megan too claimed residence with the Shays, although temporary.

"No, but it's pretty dang close," Spencer said, narrowing his eyes a little bit.

"So, who do you think won?" Megan asked, turning her back to Sam and Freddie, who were working together like the time that they had been separated didn't even exist. It was like clockwork.

"No one yet," Spencer said, sounding positive.

"Oh come on," Megan said, glaring at him. "There's no way that Freddie can look that happy without doing something with her."

After the important conversation that Carly had with Sam, she quickly relayed it to Spencer, who then relayed it to anyone and everyone. Right after that, there had been a flurry of re-bets from almost everyone. Now, as of today, the prize pool for 'The Bet' was well over a thousand bucks. Carly and Spencer wouldn't be surprised if it went up even more by the time things were said and done.

"There's still something there," Carly said, motioning for her brother and Megan to lean in close. "Look at the way he's standing behind her. There's still a distance between them, like they're not exactly sure of each other's personal space boundaries."

"That-- or maybe he's just trying to play it off," Megan shot back.

"I don't think so, look at her too," Spencer cut in, pointing to the pair across the room. "She's still trying to sneak peeks at him when she thinks nobody notices."

Megan snorted. "Man, if Drake was here, he'd be able to tell us if they had gotten busy or not—he's good at that type of stuff. I think he would say somebody has won."

Spencer and Carly both looked at Megan. "So, why don't you go and ask them yourself?" Carly taunted.

Megan let out a short fit of laughter. "Oh definitely, that's just the thing for me to ask. Hey Freddie, I know you're busy fixing your laptop and all that jazz, but do you mind answering a question? You don't!? Great! So, did you manage to score with Sam yet?"

Spencer and Carly laughed along with Megan. "Kay, you have a point, but if they did, I think they would look more satisfied about it," Spencer joked. "They look pretty pissed."

"You would be too if you were stuck repainting the walls of this place. That's gotta be the hardest job," Megan muttered.

Last week, Carly had asked Lewbert if they could use the lobby for the graduation party she was planning. He had said yes, but only if Carly and her friends agreed to help remodel the lobby. Lewbert now owned the entire building, so what he said, goes. He had plans to redo the lobby, and he found a reason to drag the others into helping him.

"Hey you guys," All three stiffened at the sound of Lewbert's voice. "Is there a good reason for why you're not working?"

"Because a crapload of money is on the line?" Carly offered as she turned towards him, who was wearing a fairly nice suit.

"Yea, that's a wonderful reason to set aside your work. You're the one who wanted to have this party, so I suggest you get to work before I change my mind." Lewbert narrowed his eyes, criticizing the trio for their current laziness.

"Oh come on Lew, you're in on it. Don't you want to know if anyone has won 'The Bet' yet?' Spencer replied, but he was already heading towards the new furniture by the door that had to be moved.

"No one's won yet, so stop arguing about it and help me move this furniture."

"Whatever, you're just mad because you've already put in four hundred and they're still not doing it," said Carly jokingly.

Lewbert grinned at her.

"Don't piss me off, now..."


	13. iBet Thirteen

**This is it!! The final chapter of iBet. You all will finally find out who wins 'The Bet'. It has been a nice ride, and I definately wouldn't mind doing it again if I had the opportunity. When I first started this out, I wasn't sure of where it was going, or how serious I was going to be about it. But with the awesome number of reviews, I became more confident about it. I would like to thank everyone who has left a review. As always, I post a hit count with every chapter that I write, and now it is up to 5,608. I never expected it to get this high. When it went over 1000 after a week or so, I was like, _wow. _If you haven't checked out my other stories, you're missing out! When you get time, go and do that if you haven't yet. As always, don't forget to leave a review and ENJOY! **

**(End _reallllllly _long author note)**

**

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****Chapter Thirteen**

Artist Spencer Shay was knee deep in the worst case of artist's block he'd ever experienced in his life when a whistling Freddie Benson strolled through the front door and into the Shay apartment. Instantly, the change in mood caught Spencer's attention, and he dragged himself out of the hell hole he'd put himself into. He exchanged a look with his sister Carly Shay, who was also raising her eyebrows.

"So, Mr. Sunshine," said Spencer, propping his head on his hand while leaning against the counter. "What's put you into this fine mood today?"

"Huh?" said Freddie, like he was just realizing that he was grinning like a friggin' idiot.

"What do we have here?" said Megan, joining in on the fun. "So somebody either just hit the Powerball or got met a really pretty woman last night."

"Why Freddie, are you steppin' out on me?" Carly held her left hand close to her heart and tried to act surprised.

"Ha ha, very funny guys, can't I enjoy finally getting my diploma in peace?"

Graduation was yesterday, and tomorrow is when Carly was throwing the graduation party.

"So it was an ugly woman then?" Carly offered. Spencer and Megan laughed loudly while Freddie only glared at them.

"Hey, just let it go guys." Freddie's tone was intended to end the talk there, but that failed, and it only peaked everyone's interests even more.

"Holy shi…" Spencer said, suddenly jumping to his feet. "Somebody's won!" And then he began laughing.

"Hot damn," Carly was also laughing. "Where's the list at?"

"I'm going to call everyone else," Megan jumped to her feet and walked towards her cell phone, but not before stopping by Freddie and patting him on the shoulder with force. "Hey, just remember, this was Carly and Spencer's idea, not mine." And with that she was off.

"What…" Freddie looked absolutely lost, and turned his attention towards Carly and Spencer, who were standing by the coffee table, with a bunch of papers in front of them, with Spencer on a calculator. "Spencer, what's going on?"

"First, answer a question for us, that we'll explain," Spencer said, pointing the calculator at Freddie. "So, when did you finally score with Sam?"

For a while Freddie looked like an extra from the Finding Nemo movie, but a few moments later, he finally responded with another, "What?"

"Yesterday? Last night?" Carly grinned. "Come on Freddie, you gotta tell us so we can make sure the cash goes to the right person."

"Cash? What are you guys…?" Suddenly it seemed the light bulb went off in Freddie's head. "You guys bet on Sam and me…"

"Yep," Spencer drug Freddie over to the table and showed him the extensive list of bets, which was now several pages long and well over $1200. "See, if it was last night, then Drake, Josh, Ms. Briggs, Carly, and your mom would have to split the winnings. But if we have to go further back, then it's going to get more complicated…"

"This…this is…is," Freddie stammered, but instead hit Spencer on the side of his arm. "This is exactly something you guys would do. Jeez, Sam is going to get a kick out of this."

"Yea, well, tomorrow at the party would a perfect time to announce the winner, and settle this for once and for all. By the way, you're buying the drinks." Carly said, looking up from the pile of papers, sporting a huge smile.

"Yea, we'll see about that."

**_----------_**

"Hey, hey, hey!" Carly called over all of the laughter and random conversation. "It's finally time to announce the winners of 'The Bet'!" A loud cheer went up, and Carly silenced the crowd by waving her arms. "First of all, we'd like to thank the participants here, Freddie and Sam, as without them, this bet wouldn't even been possible!"

"I'm still going to get my revenge on you!" yelled Sam from the back, which brought back the laughter.

"Yea, I'll be ready for it," Carly responded, sticking her tongue out at her best friend.

"Just get on with it already!" Drake Parker shouted and Carly couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, okay. So here's how it's gonna work out. For those who guessed closest to the actual date of... conception," Freddie threw a pretzel stick at Carly, which bounced off her head, "You're gonna split the winnings. Now, my mastermind brother Spencer has already collected all the moneys from you guys, so without further altercations, here we go."

Spencer walked over and handed Carly a small sheet of paper.

"The one with the closest bet was…" everyone at the party leaned forward in anticipation, "Josh Parker!" The crowd cheered loudly as Josh stood up and waved. "Off by only three days! Incredible!"

"Boob!" Megan snorted, loud enough so everyone at the party could hear her.

"Don't mind my sister; she's just a sore loser." Josh responded, jabbing his thumb towards Megan.

"And you're a drama queen. Now get out of the way!" Megan shot back.

"Ha ha, she got you good," Drake said from the side of Megan.

"Well then, in second we have Ms. Benson! Who, let me say, knew this was going to happen since the start of this thing nearly four years ago!" A loud 'Ohhh!' erupted from the crowd as Marissa stood up and waved. Carly couldn't see Freddie's face, but she guessed that he was shocked to no end and sporting that Finding Nemo expression again.

"And finally for third, we have a tie between Emmitt and Principal Ted Franklin! Yes, even Emmitt, the one who eats and drinks anything, was in on it!" Both of them stood up and waved. "Now, the cut-off time was a month, so if you bid on a time that was beyond a month, no moneys for you. If you would like to argue about our math, you are welcome to have a lovely chat with Spencer, who, by the way, finishes law school in a year!"

Drake and Lewbert were already making their way over to Spencer to make a case, but he stood up from his chair before they could reach him.

"And hey, that's not all." He held up a large unopened envelope, which had the logo of the University of Washington on the front. "About a week ago, we received this in the mail. Since Sam's official mailing address is still our apartment, she hasn't had the chance to see this yet. I think now is the time for her to see what this it, because Carly and I are also wondering what this is. Now Sam, get your ass up here and read this!"

Sam looked at Freddie, who nodded, and she made her way up to the front. Spencer handed over the envelope and Sam quickly tore it open and read one of the folded sheets of paper that was inside. After a few seconds her eyes grew wide, and she let go of the paper, which fell to the floor.

"I can't believe it," she managed to say.

"What is it?" Carly asked as she picked up the paper and quickly read it over. Her eyes grew wide also and she threw herself at Sam, hugging her. "Oh my god! You did it!"

"Well, what does it say?" asked Freddie from the back. Carly passed the paper over to Spencer, who looked at it, but he didn't look that surprised. "You want them to know?" he asked looking over at Sam, who was being crushed by Carly. Sam nodded her head.

Suddenly Spencer broke into a huge smile. "Sam got accepted into the University of Washington!" Everyone else at the party erupted into cheers as popcorn, candy, pretzels, and other items of choice flew in the air as everyone celebrated. Freddie led the charge as everyone ran to congratulate Sam.

"But…how...I don't remember..." Sam tried to say as she was being pat on the back and hugged by several people.

Spencer spoke again. "Well, I was disappointed that you hadn't gotten anything from any schools. Especially since I knew you were plenty capable of getting the grades. So, about three weeks ago, I took a trip up to the university and saw one of my old professors. He said he knew the Dean personally, and said he would put in the good word for you. So, I guess the Dean thought enough of you and wanted to give you a shot."

"You did that for me?" said Sam, who was trying to fight off tears.

"Absolutely. You're like a daughter to me. I wanted you to have the chance to experience life at its best. And hey, it all works out since Carly **and** Freddie are both going there also!"

Sam emerged from her congratulators and hugged Spencer tightly.

"Thank you," she said through tears.

"No problem kiddo," Spencer said, trying to keep a straight face. Freddie ran up and hugged Sam tightly and kissed her excitedly.

Spencer and Carly looked at each other and hi-fived. Beneath it all, Carly and Spencer didn't take 'The Bet' as a serious thing at first. But as time went on, they realized how important it had become. It was never the question of how and why, it was just the question of _when_. As things got more serious, Carly and Spencer realized that this was a life changing thing. The two realized that their time together was becoming limited as time passed, and they didn't want to lose a friendship that had lasted so long. So while Carly and Spencer did a little pushing here and there, in reality, it was all Freddie and Sam who had done the work and got through the rough times. They were the real winners of 'The Bet'.

"Hey, I got a question for ya." Gibby called. "So, what are you betting on next?"

Carly and Spencer shared a look and grinned. "Well, now that you mention it, we'll bet on how long it takes for Freddie to get to the next step."

"Carly," Freddie said, hiding his face in his hands. "You already asked me my intentions; can't you just leave it at that?"

"She asked about your intentions?" Sam looked at Carly, then at Freddie, then back at Carly. "I don't know if I should hit you or be honored."

"My vote is for honored," said Carly.

"I say hit her," Spencer said. Everyone else laughed as they stood up and began to party the night away.

* * *

**I'd especially like to thank the people who left multiple reviews and kept me going such as **_Lorelai the Coffee Slayer, ColorsOfTheSky101, Nature9000, ForgottenLovedOne, and staterfs._


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